Amit Sahni Ki List is worthy to watch for refreshing content and Vir Das's natural acting. !!

'Amit Sahni Ki List', there's a reason I'm extremely suspicious of Bollywood rom-coms; they tend to start off well but almost always lose direction around the halfway mark. The unusual humor you enjoyed so much vanishes shortly after intermission, only to make way for overdramatic rona dhona. For a film that only has Vir Das as a recognizable face, it does well overall when it comes to being a refreshing light-hearted spontaneous take on modern day affairs!

 

Inspired from a few Hollywood romcoms and TV shows, Amit Sahni Ki list  is a 
easy breezy light hearted take on romance in the new age. Vir Das is fancy investment banker Amit Sahni, who's having trouble finding the ideal girl who ticks off every box on his proverbial list. Amit Sahni who after his break up makes a list of qualities that he's looking in his life partner. It is an exhaustive list and he's confident that he would definitely meet the girl. Before he can fulfill his wish, Amit meets Mala (Vega) and the two get engaged. However, fate has something else lined up for him when he bumps into Devika (Anindita) just after his engagement. She's not just any ordinary girl, but someone who matches every requirement on his list. Now caught in a dilemma on whether to pursue the listwali girl or be with Mala, Amit is caught in soup! 

 

Virr Das makes Amit not only likeable but also convincing. He doesn't overdo the dramatic scenes or underplay it too much. Striking the right balance between realism and theatrics, he is in the right groove.  

This is how Vir explains the film while talking directly to his audience right from the film's opening scene. While he explains his break-ups, whether it is the one initiated by him or those where women dump him, it isn't tough to relate with the reasons behind them all. A smile stays throughout, a few chuckles come in too and occasionally there are also full-on laughs.

What adds on a lot to the movie is Vega Tamotia coming on the scene. She is such a natural actor and oh-so-adorable as a girl you want to take home and introduce to your parents.

 

There is certain lethargy to the pace of the movie, particularly in the second half and the tale gets way too predictable towards the end. Scenes between Virr and Vega could have been better developed. There are times when the focus is too much on the wisecracks and the jokes so the emotional connect takes a back beating and suffers. 

 

'Amit Sahni Ki List', starring Vir Das, could've been a wonderful romantic comedy, but it falls short on account of the writer's conventional thinking. So much of it feels fresh and enjoyable despite sticking faithfully to formula, until it finally goes down the same beaten bath in its last act, as if too scared to stick its neck out.

 

A large contribution comes from Vir who ends up doing well all over again while being in his elements. Vega has to be seen a lot more now while Anindita could do well in unusual Bollywood roles like these.

 

First-time director Ajay Bhuyan keeps things cheerful and light through the first hour, striking a nice balance between humor and understated emotion in the scenes between Amit and Mala. Using interesting devices like freeze frames, thought bubbles, and comic strips, he takes us on a familiar yet engaging journey through various rom-com clichés, until the hiccups start post-intermission when the thinness of the plot becomes a real problem.

 

The climax plays on endlessly, and the film suffers on account of way too many songs. But there are little pleasures to be had - the constantly witty dialogue, Amit's too-cool-to-be-true mom who speaks almost exclusively in abbreviations and emoticons, and his childhood pal who takes great pleasure in his sufferings.

 

A kind of movie that may well have been a Valentine's Day release, Amit Sahni Ki List can be given a happy watch.

 

Overall, it is worthy to watch for refreshing content and Vir Das’s natural acting.